..lists what Buhari, APC expect from Saraki, Dogara

By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

A member of All Progressives Congress, APC, Board of Trustees, BoT, Alhaji Gambo Magaji, yesterday, gave hints of what the party is doing to restore peace and move the country forward.

Magaji explained that despite the seeming breach of the party’s position regarding the National Assembly election, it had decided to accept the leaders that emerged from the controversial election for peace to reign.

The BoT member said that the party took the decision in the hope that Senate President, Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, would reciprocate the gesture and abide by the position of the party that brought them to power.

Magaji told Vanguard in an exclusive interview in Abuja, yesterday, that both men had since been acknowledged and accepted by the party and that they were expected to toe the party’s line as a mark of respect and recognition of the party.

He said: “It is our belief that since the party did not question the emergence of Saraki and Dogara by formally writing to them as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, they should understand that they have been accepted by party.”

Expectation

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara;Senate President, APC Chirman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun Dr. Bukola Saraki and President Muhammadu Buhari at the APC NEC Meeting.

He said: “What is expected from them is that they would also show respect to the party and begin to toe its line so as not to give the impression that they are working against the party that brought them to power.

“The position of the party is that the leadership of NASS should do what the party wants and nothing more, if they are loyal members of APC. That is the minimum expectation,” Magaji added.

On President Buhari, Tinubu

Magaji said it was not true that Buhari and Tinubu had quarrelled over the crisis in the party, pointing out that the absence of the former Lagos State Governor from the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the party last Friday did not suggest a rift between the two party leaders.

He nonetheless denied claims that Buhari was in support of what happened in NASS, saying that the President was not involved in any way having made it clear from the outset that he was ready to work with anyone who emerged from the legislature.

Magaji said: “To the best of my knowledge, there is no quarrel between Buhari and Tinubu.

“The fact that the former governor did not come for NEC should not be taken to mean that he has a quarrel with the President or the party.

“The party’s NEC is not like the BoT and anyone who is not a member can decide whether or not to attend.”

It will be recalled that the emergence of the NASS leadership had caused uproar across the party lines and threatened to split it into factions.

However, the BoT member said many committees were working to broker peace.